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Hector “Macho” Camacho’s Final Countdown, Removal from Life Support Looms

November 23rd, 2012 at 9:00 AM By Sharon Scrima

It has been a grueling 48 hours for the family of Hector Camacho and will continue to be right through the time the 50-year old is removed from life support, expected to occur no later than tomorrow. Doctors in Puerto Rico officially announced yesterday that the flashy former world champion is clinically brain dead after his condition worsened following a shooting on Tuesday evening.

Camacho was a passenger in a Ford Mustang registered to Adrian Alberto Mojica Moreno, 49, of Toa Baja when at least one gunman opened fire on the vehicle that was parked outside of a bar in Bayamon on Tuesday evening. Camacho was shot in the face, with the bullet entering the left side of his jaw and traveling through his head before lodging in his right shoulder and fracturing two vertebrae. Mojico Moreno was killed at the scene as he reportedly attempted to flee from the vehicle.

Early reports indicated that the former champion might face paralysis due to his injuries, but his condition quickly worsened since being admitted to Rio Piedras Medical Center. Camacho experienced decreased brain activity following admission and suffered cardiac arrest early Wednesday morning. The bullet tore through three of four main arteries in the neck, causing massive blood loss and insufficient blood circulation throughout the brain.

El Nuevo Día previously reported that as early as Tuesday evening Camacho's brain activity was only functioning at 3% using the Glascow Coma Scale. Subsequent tests led doctors to place Camacho on life support once it was determined that the fighter did not have any brain activity, leaving Camacho's family to make a painful decision.

"Papi was a great fighter, a warrior and now he is fighting for his life and we have to let him fight to the end," said Camacho's son, Hector Camacho Jr. who is a professional fighter himself.

One of the rare three-division world champions in the sport of boxing, the eccentric and elusive Camacho's talent in the ring was overshadowed by his struggles outside of it. With a record of 79-6-3 (38 KO's) and victories over the likes of Edwin Rosario, Ray Mancini, Vinny Pazienza and Greg Haugen, as well as high-profile bouts against Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, it has been the ongoing battles with drugs, alcohol and legal matters that gave Camacho the biggest challenges in his life.

Camacho was arrested in January 2005 for burglary of a computer store in Mississippi, at which time police found the drug Ecstacy in his possession. He was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison, but a judge eventually suspended the majority of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He wound up serving two weeks in jail after violating that probation, however.

His wife twice filed domestic abuse complaints against him, filing for divorce several years ago. Camacho turned himself in to Florida authorities in April 2012 on a warrant filed late last year in relation to a child abuse charge involving his teenage son.

Trouble continued to follow Camacho and his companion, Mojico Moreno, this week. It has been reported that Mojica Moreno had nine bags of cocaine in his possession with a tenth bag open in the car at the time of the shooting. He had been arrested for possession of controlled substances in April 2012.

Police have indicated that no arrests have yet been made in the shooting.